Colorado legislators promote bill to let child-abusers go free

There is a front-page story in the New York Times today on states that are considering laws that would loosen the statute of limitations in civil cases involving child abuse. However, two of the persons cited as defenders of children have actually promoted legislation that allows for child abuse to continue: Marci Hamilton and Joan Fitz-Gerald.

Fitz-Gerald, the former president of the Colorado Senate, introduced legislation in 2006 to lift the statute of limitations in these cases. She is quoted today saying she was horrified to learn of opposition to her bill by the archdiocese [of Denver]. “It was the most brutal thing I’ve ever been through,” she said. “The politics, the deception, the lack of concern for not only the children in the past, but for children today.”

In fact, Fitz-Gerald was responsible for turning a blind eye to the sexual molestation of children, and assisting her was Hamilton. To wit: Hamilton worked with Fitz-Gerald in drafting a bill that intentionally allowed molesting public school employees to escape with impunity (because of the doctrine of sovereign immunity, victims of abuse in the public schools have only 90 days to bring suit). In other words, because the bill was aimed only at private institutions, the target of which was the Catholic Church, it did not apply to the public schools. Not surprisingly, when another bill was introduced that was inclusive of public institutions, the public school establishment went nuts and successfully killed the bill.

Fitz-Gerald and Hamilton could have worked together to combat the sexual abuse of minors wherever it may have occurred. Instead, the “child crusaders” opted to discriminate against children who were sexually abused by public school teachers. It is their politics and deception that is truly nauseating.